After Wormtail left, Voldemort, who had been considering his next move, suddenly felt deeply uneasy. Possessing the large rat, he abruptly raised his head and looked around, red light flickering in its beady eyes.
This place should have been safe. What had he overlooked?
Just then, faint noises came from outside.
"Has Wormtail returned?"
The unease in Voldemort's heart grew stronger. He knew the person coming was probably not Wormtail.
"Good evening, Tom. I know you're hiding in there."
The wooden doors of the hall creaked open, and a familiar, hateful voice rang out from the corridor beyond. Dumbledore entered, holding up a glowing wand.
Voldemort's heart immediately sank to rock bottom. He had never expected Dumbledore to appear here.
An inexplicable sense of frustration rose within him.
Not long ago, Dumbledore had blocked him at the door, completely ruining his original plans. Nagini had even had her head cut off, while he himself had been driven into fleeing everywhere.
And now, Dumbledore had blocked him again.
"Found you." Dumbledore raised his wand and gave it a light flick.
Voldemort suddenly felt his body float upward. His whole body—no, the entire rat—seemed to be lifted by an invisible force. It struggled helplessly in midair, looking utterly ridiculous.
Voldemort had intended to take advantage of possessing a rat to hide, but he had never imagined Dumbledore would find him so easily.
"What a surprise. You've actually become something like this. How pathetic."
Dumbledore stared at the rat before him. He was certain Voldemort had possessed it. As for Voldemort's possession itself, he had seen it on Quirrell years ago.
Dumbledore swung his wand, and spell after spell flew toward the rat in the air. Once it was completely trapped, Voldemort finally stopped struggling.
At last, he dropped the pretense.
"Dumbledore!"
Voldemort's